Tagor Desert.
The Snake-Person Tribe.
At that moment, the Snake-Person Tribe was on edge. They watched the powerful experts hovering in the air on Dou Qi wings, their eyes filled with wariness, especially as they looked at the two leading figures.
One was cloaked in black, impossible to tell whether they were male or female.
The other was a middle-aged man dressed in white as pure as snow.
"Pill King Gu He?"
Yue Mei frowned as she looked at the only white-clad, middle-aged man she recognized.
"May I ask why Pill King Gu He has brought so many experts to the Snake-Person Tribe?" Yue Mei asked coldly. At that moment, the other powerful members of the Snake-Person Tribe appeared as well.
Yan Ci's Dou Qi surged around him as he glared at Pill King Gu He and the others.
"The aura from that person in black robes... they should be a Dou Huang expert." Yan Ci stiffened and spoke in a low voice.
Yue Mei nodded.
In the air.
The black-robed figure asked softly, "Have you sensed it?"
Pill King Gu He shook his head. "The aura's somewhat different from before, but it's just as scorching. I don't know whether I sensed it wrong or if there's another reason."
"Since you sensed it, then hurry and act," the black-robed figure said.
Pill King Gu He was just about to speak.
Queen Medusa, also hovering on Dou Qi wings, appeared before them. "Pill King Gu He!"
"Queen Medusa?"
Pill King Gu He froze.
Looking at Queen Medusa, unharmed, he seemed uncertain.
"May I ask what you've brought the experts of the Jia Ma Empire to the Snake-Person Tribe for?" Queen Medusa asked coldly.
Pill King Gu He cupped his hands. "I sensed the aura of a Heavenly Flame, so I came to investigate."
As he spoke, he looked toward Queen Medusa's bedchamber.
"It's over there."
"Your Majesty surely understands how important a Heavenly Flame is to an alchemist. I wonder if you'd be willing to part with it?"
"Gu He guarantees that Your Majesty won't be disappointed."
At this,
Queen Medusa gave a disdainful laugh. "You think you can take something from the Snake-Person Tribe?"
Hearing that they had come to seize something, Yue Mei and Yan Ci both manifested Dou Qi wings and flew to Queen Medusa's side.
"We're not here to seize it. We're here to make a trade!"
Pill King Gu He took a deep breath as he spoke.
Queen Medusa waved her hand. "There's no deal to be made. Go back where you came from!"
Pill King Gu He's expression didn't change. "Sect Master, I'm counting on you."
The black-robed figure said, "I can only hold her off for a while..."
She didn't have what it took to defeat Queen Medusa.
Pill King Gu He knew that too. "Holding Queen Medusa off will be enough. Once I get what I came for, I'll leave at once."
"Fine!"
Whoosh!
A long sword appeared in the black-robed figure's hand, its blade gleaming with a chilling edge. "Forgive me!"
Her Dou Qi wings beat, and she shot toward Queen Medusa.
At this,
Queen Medusa flew into a rage. "You're asking for death!"
A three-star Dou Huang dared to attack her?
Did they think Queen Medusa's fearsome reputation was a lie?
The two Dou Huang experts collided in an instant. A tremendous boom erupted in the air, and Dou Qi swept wildly in every direction. Seeing this, Pill King Gu He called out, "Everyone, I'm counting on you. I'll honor the terms I promised as soon as we leave."
Apart from the black-robed figure, every one of them was a Dou Wang expert.
"Haha!"
"Pill King Gu He is a man of his word. I'll make the first move!"
A burly Dou Wang beat his Dou Qi wings and charged at Yue Mei.
Seizing the opportunity,
Pill King Gu He darted straight toward the place where he had sensed the Heavenly Flame.
Seeing Gu He's direction, Queen Medusa started to turn, but the black-robed figure blocked her. "I know I'm no match for you, but I can hold you up for a while."
Whoosh!
The long sword glimmered as the Dou Huang's aura surged to its peak.
"You're truly asking for death!"
Queen Medusa roared in fury. The Dou Qi around her transformed into a purple python that swept toward the black-robed figure.
"Hmph!"
The black-robed figure snorted. Dou Qi enveloped her long sword as she slashed through the air, meeting the purple python head-on.
Boom~~~~~~~~
The purple python and the sword's edge exploded at the same time, and Queen Medusa and the black-robed figure immediately clashed.
"If anything happens to him, none of you will leave this desert alive!"
Queen Medusa closed in on the black-robed figure, her voice brimming with killing intent.
"We only came to take something," the black-robed figure replied.
Shen Shihuang circulated the Dou Qi within his body, a satisfied smile on his face. Though Peak Dou Emperor wasn't much across the Dou Qi Continent, here, it made him an absolute powerhouse.
"No."
Shen Shihuang seemed to think of something. "There's also that Dou Zong, Yun Shan?"
Whoosh, whoosh!
Suddenly,
Shen Shihuang sensed a powerful force coming straight toward him.
"Even though I don't know any Dou Techniques..."
"But against a Dou Wang, it seems like I don't need one."
The Sign-in System had only given him one cultivation method.
Dou Techniques—
He had none.
Shen Shihuang didn't hold back. He gathered all his strength into his fist and punched straight toward the source of the aura.
The wall collapsed in an instant, and a figure came flying out.
"Ugh!"
Pill King Gu He flew through the air, drawing everyone's attention. His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared at the place where the wall had collapsed.
Whoosh!!
The black wings of fire on Shen Shihuang's back beat, carrying him into the air.
"Dou Qi wings... a Dou Wang?"
The black-robed figure's expression shifted at the sight of Shen Shihuang. "No, that aura... he's a Peak Dou Emperor, just like Queen Medusa?"
Seeing Shen Shihuang appear, Queen Medusa hurried to his side. The killing intent that had filled her eyes softened. "Are you all right?"
Shen Shihuang shook his head.
"I seem to be stronger than him. I'm fine."
Seeing that Shen Shihuang seemed confused, Queen Medusa realized he had only just awakened.
"Are you all still going to fight?"
Queen Medusa let her full aura loose and stared coldly at the black-robed figure and Pill King Gu He.
Seeing this,
Pill King Gu He gave a bitter smile and cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, we'll take our leave!"
"Gu He will send compensation to the Snake-Person Tribe another day."
With that,
Gu He and his party flew off into the distance.
Yue Mei and Yan Ci came before Queen Medusa. "Your Majesty, are you really going to let them leave?"
Queen Medusa gave a cold laugh. "Just a few Dou Wang experts and one three-star Dou Huang."
"They're not important right now."
At that moment,
Yue Mei and Yan Ci looked at Shen Shihuang.
Their eyes widened.
"Your Majesty... he..."
Yan Ci looked as though he'd seen a ghost too.
Shen Shihuang's face—
They recognized it, of course. They'd seen it for a very, very long time.
"Uh."
Seeing their reaction, Shen Shihuang smiled. "My name is Shen Shihuang. It's nice to meet you."
"Shen Shihuang?"
"I never thought Her Majesty's husband would wake up at a time like this."
Yue Mei smiled too. "My name is Yue Mei."
Yan Ci gave a grunt. "Yan Ci!"
Queen Medusa's husband.
The entire Snake-Person Tribe knew about him. He was a man who had appeared alongside Queen Medusa, but ever since he first appeared, he'd been wreathed in black flames. Only Queen Medusa could approach him.
Mysterious and terrifying.